


Five Things Leonid Toptunov Learned During His First Week (And One Thing He Has Yet To Learn)

by AwariaSuit



Category: Chernobyl (TV 2019)
Genre: First Week at Work, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 18:22:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20746685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwariaSuit/pseuds/AwariaSuit
Summary: Leonid Toptunov learned a great many things during his first week on the job.





	Five Things Leonid Toptunov Learned During His First Week (And One Thing He Has Yet To Learn)

Leonid Toptunov learned a great many things during his first week on the job.

The first was that he was impatient. He wanted to know every little thing there was about his station. It was one thing to have studied the schematics and manuals, and quite another to have your fingers fly back and forth between the buttons and controls, stumbling and hesitant. 

He wanted to be past this stage already. Not in the least because it was, well, a touch _embarrassing_ to have the shift foreman pull up a chair beside him, as Aleksandr Akimov had done those first few nights, and patiently coach him through his first maneuvers with the control rods. _I am competent, really, I am_, he wanted to tell Akimov, when he corrected him yet again. Never sternly. And always quick to dive into a follow up explanation. And maybe that was the worst part, Toptunov thought. That maybe he didn't think him _capable_. 

The second thing he learned was that drinking copious amounts of coffee right before his shift gave him jitters. How Toptunov hadn't discovered this fact before year twenty-five of his life was a mystery to him. He supposed that it had something to do with the lateness of the hour. And maybe, the depth of his fears. Too much coffee had the uncanny effect of amplifying any fear he had that was related his ability to perform his job.

— Ease up on the caffeine, Leonid. — Akimov told him once.

So he did, and that helped.

The third thing Toptunov learned was that if he timed his arrival right, he could have his pick of the uniforms that best fit him, rather than go with what was close at hand when the changing room was crowded. A few minutes earlier or later and the changing room would be emptier and less rowdy. Like Masha from _Masha and the Three Bears_, he could take his time. This shirt's too big. This one runs a little short. But this one, this one fits just _right_.

The fourth thing he learned was that he quite enjoyed working the night shift. On a warmer winter night he set out a little earlier, on foot. His neck wrapped in a warm woolen scarf and hands digging deep into his pockets for warmth, Toptunov marveled at the moon a little too long. He tripped, but recovered. He swept around the area to see if anyone noticed, but the only witnesses to his stumble were the silent poplars lining the boulevard.

All around him, the town slept. He began whistling as he walked, and he was _happy_.

The fifth thing he learned was that he was wrong about the first. 

By the end of the week, he had mastered the basics of routine reactor operations. He could make minor adjustments to the power output with ease. And yet, when Akimov stubbornly stayed put at his desk instead of pulling up a chair to sit with him, Toptunov felt an odd discomfort. Like there was something missing.

Maybe it was Akimov's calm voice, as he issued instructions and steady reassurances. Or maybe it was the sudden warmth, when he touched his shoulder once, maybe twice, to direct his attention. Whatever it was, Toptunov found himself thinking up questions he could ask, to lure Akimov over to his corner of the control room. Of course, it couldn't be as simple as _What does this button do_? He had to get creative.

And so it turned into a quest for him in the weeks to come. The more he succeeded in crafting questions, the more he learned, and the more time he got to spend with Akimov by his side. The only downside was that the more he succeeded, the more challenging it became to find reasonable questions to ask. One day soon, he would run out of reactor emergency state scenarios, and then—

— Leonid. — Akimov materialized next to him near the end of their shift, breaking his reverie. — Thought you might enjoy this. — He handed him the latest copy of _Tekhnika Molodezhi_.

— I, uh... — Toptunov didn't quite know what to say. Turning the magazine over in his hands, he was suddenly conscious of the dampness of his fingertips.

— Take your time, they're fascinating stories. — Akimov patted him on the shoulder before walking away.

What Toptunov had yet to learn was that Aleksandr Akimov was looking for ways to talk to him, too.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr. Prompt: "When it gets harder to come up with excuses to get your supervisor to talk to you."


End file.
